Older and wiser.
That's our boy Leigh by the end of Dear Mr. Henshaw.
Coming of age is all about growing up, but it has less to do with buying bigger clothes than it does with all the stuff that's going on inside in the general vicinity of the head and heart. For Leigh, this stuff is happening fast in sixth grade as he deals with his parents' divorce, figures out his relationship with his dad, and deals with being the new kid in school. Loss, fear, loneliness, anger—that's a lot for any kid to deal with. But it's facing those things that makes us grow up emotionally and socially.
As the story progresses, we see Leigh's thinking change from childish ("the truck is why my parents got divorced") to more mature and complex. For young kids, things tend to be black or white. The truth about life is that it's not like that at all. It's much more difficult for Leigh to learn to be okay with mixed feelings about his dad, but it's a sign that he's growing up.
Just wish being older and wiser wasn't so darned hard.
Questions About Coming of Age
- Leigh responds to his dad in one way at the beginning of the book and a different way at the end. What changes in Leigh to create these different responses?
- What role does Mr. Fridley play in Leigh's maturation?
- How does Mom help Leigh deal with things in a more mature way?
Chew on This
Growing up is inevitable, and Leigh would have turned out the same in the end even if his parents had stayed together and he'd had no problems at school.
Facing problems makes Leigh grow up more quickly.